QUESTION: Was Erasmus, the editor of the Textus Receptus, a "good" 
          Roman Catholic?

ANSWER: Erasmus, who edited the Greek text which was later to be known 
as the Textus Receptus, was an embarrassment to the pope and a poor 
example of a "good" Roman Catholic.

EXPLANATION: Desiderius Erasmus was born in 1466 and died in 1536 at 
the age of seventy. This was no mean feat during the days when the 
plagues, coupled with primeval medical practices, worked together to 
limit the average age of a man's life to approximately 35-40 years.

Both of his parents fell victim to that same plague while Erasmus was 
just a lad. He and his brother were then placed in the care of an 
uncle who promptly sent them off to a monastery just to be rid of 
them. Thus Erasmus's destiny was sealed long before he could ever have 
a say in the matter.

Young Erasmus became well known for his charm, urbanity and wit, and 
was in possession of an obviously above average intellect. He was 
later to choose to be an Augustinian on the sole attribute that they 
were known to have the finest of libraries.

His behavior was somewhat bizarre by Augustinian standards. He refused 
to keep vigils, never hesitated to eat meat on Fridays, and though 
ordained, chose never to function as a priest. The Roman Church had 
captured his body, but quite apparently his mind and heart were still 
unfettered.

He is known to history as one of the most prolific writers of all 
times.

Erasmus was a constant and verbal opponent of the many excesses of his 
church. He berated the papacy, the priesthood and the overindulgences 
of the monks. He stated that the monks would not touch money, but that 
they were not so scrupulous concerning wine and women. He constantly 
attacked clerical concubinage and the cruelty with which the Roman 
Catholic Church dealt with so-called "heretics. " He is even credited 
with saving a man from the Inquisition.

One of his many writings consisted of a tract entitled "Against the 
Barbarians" which was directed against the overt wickedness of the 
Roman Catholic Church.

He was a constant critic of Pope Julius and the papal monarchy. He 
often compared the crusade-leading Pope Julius to Julius Caesar. He is 
quoted as saying, "How truly is Julius playing the part of Julius!" He 
also stated, "This monarchy of the Roman pontiff is the pest of 
Christendom." He advised the church to "get rid of the Roman See." 
When a scathing satire, in which Pope Julius was portrayed as going to 
Hell, written in anonymity, was circulated, it was fairly common 
knowledge that its author was Erasmus

He was offered a bishopric in hopes that it would silence his 
criticism. He rejected the bribe flat.

Erasmus published five editions of the New Testament in Greek. They 
were brought out successively in 1516, 1519 1522, 1527 and 1535. His 
first two editions did not contain I John 5:7 although the reading had 
been found in many non-Greek texts dating back as early as 15OA.D. 
Erasmus desired to include the verse but knew the conflict that would 
rage if he did so without at least one Greek manuscript for authority. 
Following the publication of his second edition, which like his first 
consisted of both the Greek New Testament and his own Latin 
translation, he said that he would include I John 5:7 in his next 
edition if just one Greek manuscript could be found which contained 
it. Opponents of the reading today erringly charge that the two 
manuscripts found had been specially produced just to oblige Erasmus 
's request, but this charge has never been validated and was not held 
at the time of Erasmus 's work.

The Roman Catholic Church criticized his works for his refusal to use 
Jerome's Latin translation, a translation that he said was inaccurate. 
He opposed Jerome's translation in two vital areas.

He detected that the Greek text had been corrupted as early as the 
fourth century. He knew that Jerome's translation had been based 
solely on the Alexandrian manuscript, Vaticanus, written itself early 
in the fourth century.

He also differed with Jerome on the translation of certain passages 
which were vital to the claimed authority of the Roman Catholic 
Church.

Jerome rendered Matthew 4:17 thus: "Do penance, for the kingdom of 
Heaven is at hand."

Erasmus differed with: "Be penitent for the kingdom of heaven is at 
hand."

Erasmus was also a staunch defender of both Mark 16:9-21 and John 8:1-
12Äzeal which our modern-day scholars cannot seem to find.

Possibly Erasmus's greatest gift to mankind was his attitude toward 
the common man. In the rigidly "classed" society in which he lived, he 
was an indefatigable advocate of putting the Scripture in the hands of 
the common man. While Jerome's Latin had been translated at the 
bidding of the Roman hierarchy, Erasmus translated his Latin with the 
express purpose of putting it into the hands of the common people of 
his dayÄa practice that the Roman Catholic Church knew could be 
dangerous to its plan to control the masses.

Erasmus is quoted as saying, "Do you think that the Scriptures are fit 
only for the perfumed?" "I venture to think that anyone who reads my 
translation at home will profit thereby." He boldly stated that he 
longed to see the Bible in the hands of "the farmer, the tailor, the 
traveler and the Turk." Later, to the astonishment of his upper 
classed colleagues, he added, "the masons, the prostitutes and the 
pimps" to that declaration.

Knowing his desire to see the Bible in the hands of God's common 
people, it seems not so surprising that God was to use his Greek text 
for the basis of the English Bible that was translated with the common 
man in mind, the King James Bible.

It has been said that "Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched." 
There is probably far more truth to this statement than can be 
casually discerned. For the reformers were armed with Erasmus's Bible, 
his writings and his attitude of resistance to Roman Catholic 
intimidation. Of Luther he said, "I favor Luther as much as I can, 
even if my cause is everywhere linked with his." He wrote several 
letters on Luther's behalf, and wholeheartedly agreed with him that 
salvation was entirely by grace, not works.
He refused pressure by his Roman Catholic superiors to denounce Luther 
as a heretic . If Erasmus had turned the power of his pen on Luther, 
it would undoubtedly have caused far more damage than the powerless 
threats of the pope and his imps were able to do. As it is, only his 
disagreement with Luther's doctrine of predestination ever prompted 
him to criticize the Reformer with pen and ink.

Erasmus's greatest point of dissension with the Roman Church was over 
its doctrine of salvation through works and the tenets of the church.

He taught that salvation was a personal matter between the individual 
and God and was by faith alone. Of the Roman system of salvation he 
complained, "Aristotle is so in vogue that there is scarcely time in 
the churches to interpret the gospel." And what was "the gospel" to 
which Erasmus referred? We will let him speak for himself.

"Our hope is in the mercy of God and the merits of Christ." Of Jesus 
Christ he stated, "He...nailed our sins to the cross, sealed our 
redemption with his blood." He boldly stated that no rites of the 
Church were necessary for an individual's salvation. "The way to enter 
Paradise," he said, "is the way of the penitent thief, say simply, Thy 
will be done. The world to me is crucified and I to the world."

Concerning the most biblical sect of his time, the Anabaptists, he 
reserved a great deal of respect. He mentioned them as early as 1523 
even though he himself was often called the "only Anabaptist of the 
16th century." He stated that the Anabaptists that he was familiar 
with called themselves "Baptists." (Ironically, Erasmus was also the 
FIRST person to use the term "fundamental.'')

So we see that when Erasmus died on July 11, 1536, he had led a life 
that could hardly be construed to be an example of what could be 
considered a "good Catholic."

But perhaps the greatest compliment, though veiled, that Erasmus's 
independent nature ever received came in 1559, twenty-three years 
after his death. That is when Pope Paul IV put Erasmus's writings on 
the "Index" of books, forbidden to be read by Roman Catholics.

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